Into the Wild
by itsmorgan
Summary: Peeta Mellark is one of Panem's most troubled youth. With a long rap sheet, Peeta gets sentenced to a summer of community service where he is to wake before the sun to head to the summer camp held in District 12 National Park. It's not so bad though because Katniss Everdeen works there too.
1. Not Guilty

The sirens grow louder with every step I take. I know it's no use in running, with my leg and all, but that doesn't stop me from pressing forward until my lungs are filled with fire. I can see the fence and my friends running on the other side of it. I hear their voices telling me to stop, I don't listen. Ten more strides and I'll be on the other side with them. Harder and faster until I'm tumbling forward and falling on my face, I take a second to look back. The police car has stopped and the two officers are now on foot chasing me. I get up, ignoring the pain in my leg, and reach the fence. I just have to climb over the fence and I'll be able to get away, I'm so close. I swing bad leg over the top of the fence first but I have trouble finding my footing. I slip back and hands are on me, yanking me towards the ground roughly. I try to push them off me, but they shove me harder, throwing me to the ground, my face grinding into the dirt below.

Handcuffs are on me before they pat me down and lift me up until I can find my footing.

"Not smart to run, Peeta. You run and we charge you with resisting arrest, you should know that by now."

I recognize his voice, it's Cray; the old bastard Deputy Chief that's been on my case since he's be promoted. He tries to be a bad ass and throw his weight around but really he's a teddy bear. It's Chief of Police Thread that is a real ball buster.

"Come on now, Cray, where's the run in that. Got to keep you guys in shape, ain't that right Templesmith?" I grin at the slightly overweight partner who is breathing a bit harder than I am.

"Oh Peeta," is all he says before Cray shoves me in the back of the police cruiser.

I've been to the police station enough times to know all the workers by name. Darius, the newbie, is someone I actually consider a friend, or as close as a friend would get in the position we're in. He makes sure I get the good holding cell that is for single use and not the shared cell that has the town's drunks sleeping it out.

I'm allowed one phone call, to my parents to bail me out, but I hold off. Instead I ask for a pillow and a blanket and something to eat and get settled for the night. Here is way better than home anyways.

XxX

"I'm beginning to think that you get in trouble just to see me, Mr. Mellark," Judge Snow; an aging man with hair to match his name.

"You caught me. Can't get enough of that beautiful face," I joke sarcastically.

Snow rolls his beady eyes and gives a huff, "Mr. Mellark, you were caught trespassing on private property then proceeded to resist arrest by attempting to flee with you and your friends," he reads off of a paper in front of him without bothering to look up at me.

"I didn't know it was private property," I shrug my shoulders.

Snow finally looks up at me while taking off his thin wired glasses. "You're meaning to tell me you and your friends didn't see the gigantic sign that you drew graffiti all over before climbing over the fence?"

"I didn't read the fine print," I say sarcastically.

"Anyhow, since you refuse to give up the names of your delinquent friends, you have to suffer the consequences by yourself. How to you plead Mr. Mellark?"

"Guilty I guess."

"I should really throw you into jail this time, but I'm sentencing you to five hundred hours of community service and house arrest starting the day of your service until the end of the summer. You'll go to work then come home immediately and once a week you'll report to your probation officer where you'll be drug tested randomly. Any questions?"

"What's the community service?"

"It seems that I am feeling generous today, Mr. Mellark. I'll give you a week to decide what you wish to do, and your probation officer will make the proper arrangements. Anything else?"

"Nope," I say as I pop the 'p'.

"Very well. I sincerely hope this is the last time we see each other, but I doubt it," Judge snow smacks the gavel as a signal to dismiss us.

I look back at my where my parents were supposed to be sitting but the pew is unsurprisingly empty of all people. I wouldn't have it any other way, who needs family, right?

XxX

"At least the judge was nice enough to let you pick your own community service," Finnick says while keeping his eyes on the baseball game playing on the television. "You can come lifeguard with me."

"Yeah I'm sure they'd allow me to do my community service with one of the delinquents that go away."

"But they don't know that I was one of those delinquents, right Peet?" He looks at me with sudden concern.

"Like I'd eat you out. Now if Cato got caught that would be a different story," I joke to lighten the mood.

Finnick gives me the heart breaker smile before turning back to the game. Part of me is pissed that I'm taking the blame all on my own and it wasn't even my idea. But then again survival of the fittest and I'm the weakest link thanks to the bum leg I've been sporting since I was a kid.

Once the game is over, Finnick and I decide to grab something to eat before my unknown community service kicks in and I'm forced to a summer of work and no play.

The wait is long at Greasy Sae's but we don't even think about going anywhere else because Haymitch is the bartender tonight and he's notorious for serving alcohol to the underage youth. Sae's pretty much the biggest hole in the wall with mismatched chairs and rickety tables. Her food is mouthwatering though so even with the run down decor; you can still find the mayor eating here from time to time with his daughter.

By chance, I take a glance at the bulletin board with pictures of missing animals as well as people, an assortment of business cards, and something that catches my eye. A flyer for a summer camp that District 12 national forest. Underneath the list of activities, in bold are the words Help Wanted.

"Hey Finn, what do you know about the summer camp over at the national forest?" I ask in a nonchalant manner.

"It's a sleep away camp. Annie volunteered as a lifeguard there last year to spruce up her resume. Why?"

"Doesn't Katniss Everdeen volunteer? I mean she works at the park as it is."

"Oh God, man. Let it go, you're never going to get Katniss Everdeen to notice you. And if God forbid she ever does she sure as hell won't be touching your tainted record dick. She's a good girl, Peet. Don't corrupt her."

"Annie's a good girl," I protest. "And I don't want Katniss to touch my dick."

"Annie's got a wild side to her that only comes out behind closed doors, if you know what I mean. And yeah you do, you want Katniss all over that," Finnick laughs as he points between my legs. "You've been obsessed over her since grade school, how could you not?"

"I'm not obsessed," I grumble.

Finnick doesn't fight me on it because we both know that he's right. It doesn't stop me from secretly snatching the flyer off of the cork board and shoving it deep into the back pocket of my jeans.

XxX

"Oh Peeta, that's a wonderful idea!" My probation officer, Effie Trinket, claps her hands together at my idea of working at the summer camp for my community service.

I'm not sure how Effie got into the justice system, more specifically how she got to be a correctional officer. Certainly a fashion magazine editor would suit her better as she's always talking about the latest trends that her line of work forbids her to take part in. Sorry Effie, no lilac hair or zebra print. That still doesn't stop her from bleaching her hair into a bright blonde that's almost the color of watered down piss. And her nails are still painted a bright neon pink and she's got on ridiculously oversized hoop earrings dangling from both ears. Plus she's a complete idiot.

Not that I'm complaining though. I'm lucky that I was assigned to Effie because she's a walk in Sunshine Park with bunny rabbits and unicorns compared to some of the other parole officers that she shares an office building with. Plus Effie doesn't treat me like a criminal; she just treats me as Peeta, which I don't get a lot.

"Let me just give the director a call and we can see if we can set something up," Effie tells me as she dials a number into the phone.

Her voice goes an octave higher whenever Effie is on the phone and she giggles a little too much for the conversation she's having to seem sincere. She talks about me to whoever is on the phone, telling them that I'm a little 'misguided' and need something to keep me busy for the summer, and that I'd be happy to be anywhere they have an opening. Effie hangs up the phone with a bright smile.

"You're good to go," Effie smiles. "You're really going to have a fabulous summer. Now make sure you have one of the camp counselor sign your sheet every day for conformation that you actually showed up, but I know you will."

I stop listening after she hands me a sheet of paper that is supposed to get signed. I'm amazed that anyone actually agreed to me working at a summer camp for my community service. I can't believe that I'll be spending an entire summer with Katniss Everdeen. Now I just have to work up the courage to actually talk to her.


	2. Bad Boy

**I am so sorry for the delay in update. Real life is being a bitch.**

* * *

Six thirty comes too quickly and I'm still fighting off sleep by the time I arrive at District 12 National Park. There are a few cars scattered throughout the parking lot but nobody in sight. I choose one of the main paths in hopes to find someone to direct me to where the hell I'm supposed to be.

The path that I'm on goes through a small set of trees before spilling out into a large clearing. Small cabins line the far side of the trees leaving the middle empty. Heads of people dot the center of the clearing, all wearing bright yellow shirts with black writing scribbled across the chest and back. I obviously missed the memo onto the choice of fashion statement.

The further I walk, the more I'm able to make out who the heads belong to and what the yellow tee shirts say. Last names; some of them I know, others are foreign. My leg begins to hurt but I press on until I reach the center of the empty field where an older man with closely cropped graying hair eyes stands with a clipboard.

"Uh," I clear my throat to get his attention. "I'm Peeta Mellark."

"Ah yes. Our very own teenage delinquent," the man says without looking up from the clipboard. My name is on it and he puts a checkmark next to it.

"Yeah, sure," I say bitterly. "What do you want me to do?"

"Make yourself useful."

"How?"

"Do I need to hold your hand?" He waits for an answer so I shake my head no. "That's what I thought. The rest of them are setting up, go find someone that looks like that need a hand."

I look out and immediately I see her; Katniss Everdeen, the girl that makes me feel like I'm on fire. I divert my gaze quickly and see a kid named Anthony Marvel, who only answers to his surname, working a few feet away on setting up the parameters of a soccer field. I make my way over to him since he's alone.

"Need any help?" I call out to him.

Marvel looks up and seems surprised to see me. This isn't exactly the type of setting I'd be seen in willingly, my reputation doesn't scream volunteer.

"Hey Mellark," he waves. "I didn't know you were the volunteer type."

"Heard it looks to on college applications, trying to get into Yale you know," I grin.

"I think you'd need to cure cancer and make peace with an Alien race to qualify for Yale," Marvel jokes back.

"That's next on my list."

"Well then, don't let me stop you from your dreams. You can start putting up cones," Marvel threw me a few cones stacked together before returning to the outline he was drawing on the grass.

I set up cones according to what a soccer field is supposed to look like so Marvel can easily follow it. By the time I'm done, the sun is already tinging my pale skin a baby pink color. I hadn't even thought to use sun block and I'm going to regret it come tomorrow.

My tee shirt is already soaked in sweat and caked with dirt by noon, and by one I've taken it off much as the rest of the guys. Some of the girls have stripped down to their tank tops, Katniss hasn't. She's still wearing the yellow tee shirt with Everdeen marked across the back of her shoulders. She's moved away from the group and now is working her way through the small gathering of trees to where another much smaller opening of grass is; this is where the archery station is. Go figure Katniss is in charge of the bow and arrows. She makes Robin Hood look like some sort of amateur child with a toy. I remember freshman year, we had gym together and everyone including me stared in awe as she knocked the arrow and let it soar right into the bullseye without much of a second thought. The gym teacher later had later begged her to join the track and field archery team because the only other person that was half as decent as Katniss was Gale Hawthorne and everyone was desperate for a win.

That's when Hawthorne became my sworn enemy. Not that anyone knows how much I hate him, or even that I have a legitimate excuse to even hate the guy. It's just that ever since Katniss joined the team, her and stupid Gale have been glued at the hip. They are together constantly and it's annoying. It doesn't help that Gale is tall, dark and broody; making all the girls swoon over him. Why couldn't he take interest in one of the dozen that form his fan base and not the one I'm in love with.

Yes, I'm in love with Katniss Everdeen. No, I haven't had more than a thirty second conversation with her in the entire thirteen years of knowing her name. The only time we've even made contact with each other was when her father passed away when we were thirteen and my brother and I delivered cookies to her father's wake and I muttered my apologies and she bit back that it wasn't my fault and for the rest of the transaction I kept my eyes glued to the floor because I didn't want to upset Katniss any further.

"Hey Mellark," I look up to see the military hair cut guy walking my way. "Ms. Trinket says that you can cook and you've got some sort of talent with a paintbrush, is that correct."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Since we're a little short staffed this year you'll be doing both. In the morning you'll work the arts and crafts table with Glimmer Abrams then around ten you'll leave and start preparing lunches. Once lunch is served and you've cleaned up and prepped for the next day's lunch, you'll go back to the arts and crafts table. Understood?"

I nod my head. "Will anyone help me with lunch?"

"Uh yeah," he takes a look at the clipboard, "Darius Avvoy and Katniss Everdeen."

My stomach drops into my lower intestines when he says Katniss' name. Part of me is ecstatic that I'll get to spend my entire summer working with her, because that's what I wanted right? But then the other part of me is scared shitless. I've completely built this image of Katniss up in my mind and what if everything I've thought about her is wrong. Or even worse what if she hates me because I'm just some dumb delinquent that thought working at a summer camp was the easier solution compared to picking up trash on the side of the road or jail time?

"Why don't you go help them with the list of stuff we'll need at the store?" the man suggests.

I head towards the largest cabin labelled canteen. I spot Katniss and some guy with a mess of bright red hair sitting at a table with their heads together. They look up at me and I pause momentarily in the doorway.

"Buzzcut told me that I'd be doing lunches."

"His name is Boggs," Katniss corrected me making my heart flutter. "We were just coming up with the lunch menu."

I safely take a seat next to Darius, I recognize him. He's a year younger than Katniss and I, but we were in a few of the same classes before I turned eighteen and came up with the brilliant idea of dropping out.

"We've got the basics, like peanut butter and jelly, hamburgers, hot dogs, sloppy joes. Anything that isn't too hard to cook. Do you know your way around a kitchen because we don't?" Darius asks.

"My family owns the town bakery; yes I know how to work an oven."

"No need to be rude about it. Just because you have the same last name as the name on the bakery door, doesn't make you a baker," Katniss sneers.

Shit my fears are becoming true. I'm just some stupid thug in her book. "Sorry," it comes out more sarcastically than I planned. "Put spaghetti and meatballs as well as pulled pork. We should have a salad option for those who don't eat meat and are allergic to nuts."

"We didn't even think about food allergies. We would have been screwed," Darius grins and begins to add to the grocery list. "Hey do you own a car?"

"Yeah why?"

"I don't have my own car and all Katniss has is a jeep and we need something bigger to go to the store to buy this stuff."

"That's fine. Are we getting the stuff today?"

"Nah, probably the Friday before the kids come," Darius answers and I nod. "But we got to get the kitchen in some sort of working order before then. It looks like some sort of sludge explosion went off in there."

I nod again. Katniss pockets the list and stands from the table only to push through the wing door that I assume leads to the kitchen. Darius follows Katniss obediently without a word and ushers for me to join them. Darius was right; it does look like an explosion happened. The walls and everything else have a thick layer of grease on it. It's disgusting and probably breaks every single health code violation and then some, but I don't focus on that. Instead my eyes hone in to Katniss finally discarding her sweaty yellow shirt, leaving behind a tight, white tank top that leaves little to the imagination. You can perfectly see her orange bra through the top and immediately all my blood rushes south, leaving me light headed and completely turned on.

"Grab a bucket; we've got cleaning to do," she throws a pair of gloves my way.

I'm wounded by how little Katniss thinks of me. She doesn't even know me yet she's giving me the third degree as if I'm a convicted felon. Well I am a convicted felon but only for petty crimes like stealing and breaking and entering and obstruction of private property. I'm not a bad guy.

I refuse to spend the entire summer with Katniss thinking that I am. One good thing that has come from spending all my time with Finnick is that I've caught on how to persuade people. And I'll be damned if I can't convince Katniss that I only have the best intentions.


End file.
